The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it has recorded 41 deliberate attacks on its facilities within the last two years.
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said this at the commission’s emergency meeting with security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
Yakubu said that the attacks on the Commission’s facilities should now be treated as a national security emergency.
He said, “No doubt, the last few weeks have been very challenging to the Commission. The spate of arson and vandalisation targeting the Commission’s facilities and the property has become a major threat to our scheduled activities and the entire electoral process.
“In the last two years, the commission has recorded a total of 41 incidents involving deliberate attacks on the Commission’s facilities. Nine of these incidents happened in 2019 and 21 cases in 2020.”
Also Read: Federal lawmaker joins Cross River Governor to defect from PDP to APC
“In the last four weeks, 11 offices of the Commission were either set ablaze or vandalised. Two of these incidents were caused by Boko Haram and Bandit attacks while 10 resulted from thuggery during the election and post-election violence.
“However, the majority of the attacks (29 out of 41) were unrelated to election or electoral activities.
“In fact, 18 of them occurred during the EndSARS protests in October last year while 11 attacks were organised by “unknown gunmen” and “hoodlums”.
“Although the Commission was assessing loss of materials during recent attacks, its preliminary assessment so far indicates that it lost 1,105 ballot boxes, 694 voting cubicles, 429 electric generating sets, and 13 utility vehicles (Toyota Hilux). But working together with the security agencies, INEC could stop these attacks and the wanton destruction of critical electoral assets.
“These attacks, which initially appeared as isolated and occasional actions, have now become more frequent and systematic targeted at demobilising and dismantling critical electoral infrastructure in the country.
“This will not only undermine the Commission’s capacity to organise elections and other electoral activities but will also damage the nation’s electoral process and democracy.
” Indeed, these attacks on the Commission’s facilities should now be treated as a national security emergency.”
The National Security Adviser on his part, said the office of the NSA has always remained steadfast resolute and unrelenting in supporting all the activities of the INEC, as well as all agents of government who are compelled, not only by statutory means to deal with anything that will disrupt what was started in 1999.
“We are at hand to make sure that the people’s will be sustained, regardless of whatever happened, regardless of any individual inclinations without cause hampered by a lot of non-state actors who are determined to dislodge this effort.
“I am hopeful that the outcome of this meeting will be very productive. We should be able to make some strides towards extinguishing whatever pleases our electoral and socio-political landscape.”
The NSA encouraged all leaders of security agencies in the intelligence community, to enhance the efforts of operational elements that have been supporting their efforts.
The acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, pledged the commitment of the Police to lead in policing elections, working with other security agencies.
He also said the police at the state commands would also work with INEC RECs to replicate the collaboration at the state level for peaceful elections.
